Addressing School Security Will Lend Appeal When Districts Recruit New Staff, Conference Panel Says
To address the teacher shortage, three school district administrators spoke to an AASA conference audience on Friday afternoon about how to create a safety-first culture that they contend will empower, recruit and retain teachers. The panelists at “Lessons from Districts: How a Culture of Safety Improves Teacher Retention and Recruitment” also explained the importance of using […]
Creating a Happiness Advantage to Educators Brings Positive Results to an Iowa School System
Joel Pedersen, superintendent of the Cardinal Community School District in Iowa, exudes excitement when he talks about his eight-year implementation of the Happiness Advantage in his school system. Pedersen first learned about the Happiness Advantage from AASA. His district was subsequently featured by Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, in his keynote address at […]
[Video] Blessings in a Backpack (3:45)
Blessings in a Backpack is an annual backpack stuffing event sponsored by Sourcewell. The backpacks support low income students’ families local to the San Antonio area. This story was produced by Logan Reid at the 2023 AASA Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Read more.
Merits of Participating in AASA Learning 2025 Touted to School Districts at San Antonio Conference
Becoming part of the AASA Learning 2025 demonstration initiative gives school districts opportunities for mentorship and support, several panelists said at an AASA conference session on Friday in San Antonio. Bill Daggett, founder of both the Successful Practices Network and International Center for Leadership in Education, encouraged superintendents to join the network of rapidly improving […]
Covey’s Keynote Challenges School Leaders to Trust and Inspire, Not Command and Control
The future of education in today’s fast-changing world requires leaders who trust and inspire, not command and control. This, said Stephen M.R. Covey, in his keynote address at the 2nd General Session of the 2023 AASA national conference, represents “a profound paradigm shift” that makes inspiring “the new competitive advantage.” Seismic changes in society include […]
Volunteers by the Dozens Turn Out as Conference Volunteers for Blessings in a Backpack to Support 1,000 Local Children
It’s become annual ritual for the good-hearted volunteers who come to the AASA national conference, to take an hour out of their professional learning to stuff children’s backpacks with necessary items. The event, known as Blessings in a Backpack, drew several dozen conference participants Friday morning, where they filled 1,000 packs with school supplies for […]
AASA’s Presidential Contenders Promote Their Candidacies on Day 2 of the 2023 Election Season
The two contenders for the AASA presidency each struck a note for their candidacies during the 2nd General Session of the AASA national conference in San Antonio on Friday. Both candidates, Gustavo Balderas and David Jensen, hail from the Pacific Northwest. The election opened one day prior. Balderas, superintendent in Beaverton, Ore., called himself “a […]
Consensus Not Easy Between Superintendents and Their Boards, a Point Upon Which NSBA, AASA Executive Directors Concur
A good relationship between a public school superintendent and the school board can have a significant impact on the success of a school district. This partnership can create a collaborative environment that allows for effective decision-making, increased accountability and improved student outcomes. That was the takeaway from the Thought Leader Session at the AASA national […]
Leading School for Impact Means Knowing Why You are Leading, Greco Says in Conference Session
Leadership is critical for a school’s success, said Patricia Greco, a consultant with Studer Education, who presented at the “Lead for Impact” session at the AASA National Conference on Education on Friday in San Antonio, Texas. “I’m not improving, because the state is telling me I have to,” said Greco, a retired superintendent in Wisconsin, […]
Kansas and Kentucky Educators Receive Women in School Leadership Awards at Conference’s 2nd General Session
Two outstanding educators from Kansas and Kentucky were named AASA’s Women in School Leadership Award winners at the AASA conference’s 2nd General Session in San Antonio on Friday. Tiffany Anderson, superintendent in Topeka, Kan., was honored in the superintendent category. CheyAnne Fant, district director of nutrition services and afterschool programs in Barren County Schools in […]